218 FORESTRY OF NORWAY. 
returns required, and copies of tabulated returns received 
in regard to agriculture and cattle, including meteorolo- 
gical observations, in regard to fishing and the chase, in 
regard to industrial occupations and products, in regard 
to commerce, navigation, and roads, and in regard to finance 
and financial conditions for the years 1861-1865 ; and there 
are given official reports on the economic condition of the 
several prefectures for the years 1866-1870, 
In the report on the forest condition of Lister and 
Mandal—a report made to the Department of the Interior 
by Forest-Assistant Aars, published in successive numbers 
of the Christiansand Stiftsavis in the latter months of 
1870, the whole series is charged with most interesting 
minute local descriptions; but the burden of the whole is 
complaint of the disappearance of the forests. The first 
district mentioned, Vauso and Herred, is described as sub- 
ject to inundations of drift sand; and the planting of the 
ground with trees, and the covering of the sand with 
sea-weed are suggested as remedial measures, the adop- 
tion of which is urgently called for. Of the Praesterg- 
jeld, or parish of Fjotland, the clergyman writes that 
‘things are bad and every day becoming worse; as time 
goes on every stick growing will be converted into 
money, and then—— ?’ From another district the clergy- 
man writes that there is no hope unless the Government 
come forward and purchase the remaining forests, From 
a third district the clergyman, after pouring out a long 
Jeremiad of lamentations, winds up with a like suggestion 
as the only measure likely to prevent utter devastation : 
and from the Praestergjeld, or parish of Siredalens, the 
report is that the destruction of forests has been carried 
so far that even the interposition of the Government 
could effect nothing in preventing desolation, as some 
places must ere long be almost uninhabitable. 
The report was furnished to me by the Government: 
it is in exact accordance with what I have seen of the 
results of reckless felling elsewhere. 
